Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a thermoplastic polyurethane composite material, a composition thereof, a manufacturing method thereof, a shoe material made therefrom and a wearable apparatus made therefrom. More particularly, the present disclosure relates to a thermoplastic polyurethane composite material featured with excellent slip resistance and excellent abrasion resistance, a composition thereof, a manufacturing method thereof, a shoe material lade therefrom and a wearable apparatus made therefrom.
Description of Related Art
Thermoplastic, polyurethane (TPU) is a copolymer including hard segments and soft segments, wherein the hard segments are provided by a polyurethane (PU) obtained from a reaction of short-chain polyols and isocyanates, and the soft segments are provided by a PU obtained from a reaction of long-chain polyols and isocyanates. Furthermore, TPU can be sorted into two categories, ether-based TPU and ester-based TPU according to its reactant, ether-based polyols or ester-based polyols. The main properties of TPU are as follows: (1) a wide range of hardness: the ratio of each of the reactants of TPU can be adjusted so as to obtain the products with different hardness and an elasticity and an abrasion resistance of TPU can be maintained while increasing the hardness; (2) a high mechanical strength: the products made of TPU has an excellent bearing capacity, impact resistance and shock absorption; (3) an outstanding cold resistance: TPU has a lower glass transition temperature, whereby the elasticity and flexibility thereof can be maintained at the temperature of −35° C.; (4) an excellent processing performance: TPU can be processed by common processing methods for thermoplastic materials, such as injection molding, extrusion and calendering; (5) a recyclability; (6) an oil resistance; (7) a good transparency. Based on the aforementioned properties, in the industrial field, TPU is widely used in manufacture of automotive, mechanical and industrial components, such as low-speed tires, shockproof elements, dust cover, interior and exterior decorative pieces of automobiles, gaskets and bearings. In the areas of daily life, TPU is used to manufacture products of shoe materials, clothing materials, sporting goods, medical equipment or toys, such as inflatable rafts, skis, half soles or shoe heels. The application of TPU is rooted in modern life, with the rise of environmental consciousness, replacing PVC with TPU has become a current trend. Accordingly, TPU has become one of the most important plastic materials nowadays.
TPU has a lot of advantages as mentioned above, nevertheless, the slip resistance provided thereby is limited. As result, the application of TPU is limited. Taking TPU applied to shoe material as example, TPU is mainly used to manufacture support materials of shoe bodies, such as half soles or shoe heels, or is used to manufacture decorations or waterproof layers of shoe uppers. For instance, a TPU thin film can be first colored by screen printing then molded and adhered on a shoe upper by high frequency as a decoration, or a waterproof TPU thin film can be adhered on a shoe cloth to provide the water proof effect. However, TPU is rarely used to manufacture outsoles due to its poor slip resistance, which is unfavorable to use on a damp or smooth road.
In view of the foregoing, how to improve the properties of TPU, which can enhance the slip resistance while maintaining the original physical properties (such as abrasion resistance) so as to broaden the scope of the application is the goal of the related industries.